A viral video shot by a SeaWorld parkgoer showing a pilot whale out of water for several minutes during a show was actually normal behavior for the whale, SeaWorld says.

The video was posted on YouTube by Carlo De Leonibus, 33, who said in the video description that the crowd became furious at the arena, "yelling to save the dolphin."

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The pilot whale, a member of the dolphin family, appeared to be stuck on a ledge, and the workers weren't helping, De Leonibus said.

"I went and told a SeaWorld employee in a dark blue shirt who said it was normal and that it was fine, playing etc. I went back to the bleachers and began recording. What I saw, changed my view of SeaWorld forever," he said in the YouTube description.

An explanation of the situation was given over the loudspeaker, and two trainers pushed the whale back into the pool.

SeaWorld released the following statement:

"The safety of guests and employees and the welfare of our animals are SeaWorld's highest priorities. The pilot whale shown in the video is not stranded or beached on the ledge at SeaWorld Orlando's whale and dolphin stadium. The whale was never in danger. This is social and play behavior our trainers see daily and sometimes hourly by the pilot whales. If you listen closely the trainer on microphone is trying to tell the audience just that.

This whale was beached and stranded when it was saved by our animal rescue team last Labor Day weekend in South Florida. After it was rescued and rehabilitated, it was deemed un-releasable by the federal government.

The younger and more inexperienced animals - like the one on the video - sometimes take a little longer to find their way back to the water because they haven't completely mastered the technique yet. When this happens the animal is constantly monitored by our animal trainers. The whale was never in danger. In fact, the pilot whales are trained to swim onto the ledge so we can monitor their growth and give them veterinary care."